The present invention relates to a push-button switch. More particularly, it relates to a push-button switch which can be operated momentarily and yet can have a reduced thickness and a good tactile feel during its operation.
Heretofore, various structures have been proposed and put into practical use for switches which act momentarily to provide a transient pulse or the like. Such a known switch is shown in FIG. 1 wherein a contact portion 11a of a movable contact piece 11 obtained by forming a highly resilient and conductive thin metal plate into a bulbous shape, and stationary contact portions 12a and 13a of respective stationary contact pieces 12 and 13 are disposed in a casing 14 in a manner to oppose to each other. The movable contact piece 11 is inverted by depressing a push button 15, to bring the contact portion 11a of the movable contact piece 11 into engagement with the stationary contact portions 12a and 13a. Thus, a switching circuit is turned "on." Upon releasing the force depressing the push button 15, the push button 15 and the contact portion 11a are returned to their initial positions by the spring force of the movable contact piece 11, so that the switching circuit can quickly be turned "off."
In such momentary switches, substantially the central part of the movable contact piece 11 is depressed in the thickness direction of the contact piece. Therefore, the occupying space of the switch is liable to become large. This has formed an obstacle to the miniaturization of equipment. This disadvantage becomes more conspicuous as the number of the switches to be used increases as, for example, when switches are used to control multifunction; operation of equipment.
On account of the structure of the prior-art momentary switch wherein the movable contact piece is depressed in the direction of the thickness of the switch, the inverting operation of the inverting portion of the switch is not transmitted to the finger. This has led to the disadvantage that the feel of operation of the switch is feeble.